Quoting Rabbis and Missing Theology

Suggested Reading: Matthew 7:21-29

Because of my field of study, I have spent much of the last twenty years with biblical scholars and theologians. One of the good things about this group is the amount of reading they do and the number of ideas they are exposed to. Many pride themselves on thinking outside the realms of traditional theology, which can be a very good thing when tradition has wandered away from Scripture. But the other day I was talking with someone online and responded to his theological assertion by quoting a verse from 1 Corinthians and then by paraphrasing a verse from Ephesians and pointing out the tension between the verses. Mostly, I quoted those verses just to give him a hard time because they created some tension with his position and I enjoy ribbing my friends. But he responded by saying that I had missed Paul's theology on the issue. When I got the response, I thought, All I did was quote Scripture. How did I miss his theology? I wondered if he realized that I was simply quoting scripture. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, the guy had a Master's Degree in biblical studies. But his response left me wondering.

Unfortunately, people getting so wrapped up in theology that they forget scripture is nothing new. The rabbis of Jesus' day commonly taught by reading a passage of scripture and then quoting all the famous rabbis' interpretations. The people were so used to synagogue services filled with nothing but quotes from scholars that when Jesus finally came along, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like who had authority and not like their scribes (Matt 7:29, HCSB). Jesus didn't quote all of the theologians, he pointed at the Scripture and then laid out what God intended when it was first inspired.

As I say this, I know that we do not have the clarity of understanding that Jesus had about Scripture.   I can't give you a definitive declaration of what Scripture meant because it is always possible that I can be wrong. But what I can do is point you back to Scripture, to the words God preserved in the first place, the words that the Apostle Paul said were inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17, HCSB).

Theological study is good. I've spent more than two decades engaging in it myself. But never get so invested in your personal theology and theories that your first instinct is to explain away Scripture to preserve your theories and ideas.  Don't be more loyal to your denomination, or to your Bible study leader, or to those ideas that you like than you are to Scripture.  Every word is profitable to us, whether we know the latest theological trends or not.

Casting Out a Demonic Half-Shaft

Suggested Reading: Mark 4:19-29

A couple years ago the half-shaft went out on my Pontiac Aztec (a car I, thankfully, no longer own). To replace it, I had to take off the tire, the wheel assembly and then remove the shaft from a specialized joint. I wrestled with that shaft for hours but it wouldn't budge. I googled the problem only to discover that removing the shaft required a special tool I did not own. After googling the tool and discovering that it cost more than I made in a week, I went out and wrestled with the shaft some more. Finally I gave up, reassembled the tire assembly, put the tire back on, and very carefully drove the vehicle to a repair shop, defeated. Normally, I can make due without the specialized tools recommended for repair jobs, but in this particular case there was simply no substitute for the right tool.

Jesus's disciples discovered something very similar when they tried to cast a demon out of a young man whose father had approached them in Jesus's absence. Though they tried, the disciples were simply incapable of casting out the demon that plagued the boy. Jesus, of course, had no problem with the demon when he tried, even though the disciples' failed attempts had threatened to undermine the father's faith. The disciples questioned why they couldn't cast out the demon themselves, and Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29, NLT). In spite of the disciples' years of training at the hands of Jesus and their awareness of how he operated, they had forgotten the most vital tool at their disposal: prayer.  

Sometimes, we forget the power and the necessity of prayer. We begin to think that our Bible studies, training courses, and evangelism seminars are enough. But for many of the tasks we face, the essential, indispensable tool that we need is prayer. Prayer is essential to connect us to the power of God, and no matter how skilled we may be in other areas, no matter how knowledgeable or educated, we will inevitably face many things that simply cannot be overcome except through prayer, inviting God into the situation with the power only God has at his disposal. Without prayer, we will find ourselves pounding our heads against the walls in frustration and failure rather than rejoicing in magnificent displays of God's power.

Whatever your problems and whatever your skills, don't forget the indispensable power of prayer. Prayer is always the right tool for the job.